England are in talks with Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to take over as head coach after the World Cup, replacing Swedish manager Sven Goran Eriksson, the FA said on Thursday. "I think it's evident now we were in Lisbon yesterday, speaking to Scolari as a part of our ongoing process for recruiting the next England national coach for this autumn," FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick told Sky Sports News. Scolari, who coaches Portugal till the end of the World Cup, reportedly isn't allowed to open talks with other sides before the end of Portugal's trip to Germany. But the FA stressed that the talks are approved by Portuguese officials.
Eriksson "I can confirm that the FA formally approached the Portuguese football federation back in February," an FA spokesman told BBC Sport. "The FA chairman Geoff Thompson spoke to the PFF president Gilberto Madail for permission to speak to Mr. Scolari and that permission was granted," added the unnamed spokesman. Eriksson was told by the FA that he won't be remaining in the post after the World Cup. If the deal is sealed, Scolari, who led his country to the World Cup title in 2002 and reached the EURO 2004 finals with Portugal, will be just the second foreign coach to be in charge of England. Several Englishmen were tipped to take over with Bolton's Sam Allardyce and Charlton's Alan Curbishley atop the list.
